Miles O'Brien, who knows his stuff, says it's ex-astronaut Charles Bolden for NASA Administrator. I've never heard anything but praise in the space community for Bolden (a lot of people wanted him when Mike Griffin was picked), so here's hoping it's a good selection.
Some unanswered questions, though:
Why did it take so long? His name has been floated since before President Obama even took office.
How well can even the most skilled Administrator run an agency that seems doomed to underfunding and a LEO-only manned space program? (The party in power gets high marks for including boosts for NASA in the stimulus bill and the FY10 budget, but the Administration's future projections will not - absolutely will not - support a lunar base or an expedition to Mars.)
Will Bolden come in with a bias toward the controversial Ares-I given that he lobbied for it when working for ATK? (The lobbying was entirely legal and ethical, but a lot of people far more qualified than me think NASA should scrap the rocket.)
Stay tuned!
(Insert usual reminder that all posts are solely the personal opinion of the author as a private citizen)
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